


The Day You Were Born

by sasuke_hime



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Genin Years, M/M, Naruto's Birthday, Team 7 Mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:17:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8534665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasuke_hime/pseuds/sasuke_hime
Summary: Never did Naruto have any reason to believe his birthday was a day worth celebrating - until one mission with Team 7 on October 10th brings about a change in perspective.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for Naruto's birthday last month, and thought I should upload it here b/c I love my sunshine ( ;///; )

Ever since he was born, Naruto never really understood the importance of ‘birthdays’ were. Everyone else treated them like a huge event that’s celebrated in joy, yet Naruto didn’t even know what day he was born until he was issued with his Ninja card.

Nobody had ever wished him a happy birthday before, or thrown him an awesome party with balloons and dancing. Yet, even though Naruto knew what he was missing out on he didn’t really care. He had no reason to get excited over the day he was born, he was alone in this world. In his darker days, just thinking about the day he was born would make him so depressed because he couldn’t understand why his parents would make him exist in a world where nobody acknowledged him, nobody cared about him.

To him, it was just another day on the calendar.

And that’s how Naruto thought it would stay (well, at least until he became Hokage - then he’d make his birthday a national holiday and get all the presents he ever dreamed of!). Yet this all changed on his 13th birthday.

It was a bitterly cold day, the wind chapping his lips and numbing his fingertips. His face settled in a deep frown, as he tromped along the footpath grumbling under his breath about how he should still be fast asleep and waking up to some cold weather ramen.

But nope! Kakashi-sensei just had to decide that today was a perfect day for a mission.

“I thought we were done with these stupid D rank missions, why are we even doing this Kakashi-sensei?!” Naruto complained, making his irritation clear in the way he dragged, stomped and sighed as he walked along.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sakura-chan nodding her head enthusiastically as their sensei.

“Naruto’s right! Sensei, why did you accept this mission today of all days!” Sakura huffed, looking annoyed as she rubbed her hands together and brought them to her mouth, blowing hot air against them.

And as usual, that bastard Sasuke didn’t say a word. Just walked along with his hands in his pockets, almost looking like he didn’t even notice the cold. Almost, Naruto sneered, if not for the tips of Sasuke’s ears and his nose being red. Oh, how Naruto wished he could have brought a camera - this was humiliation gold!

“Ah, yes. Well, the thing is,” Kakashi-sensei finally spoke, his tone airy and light as if it were a nice spring day, “A ninja never shirks his duties, no matter how small or big they can be. It’s important to remember the little things you can do to help the people in our village.”

“Tch, can’t other genins do these lower missions? We’re better than this!” Naruto protested loudly, the wind blowing his hair in every which way.

“You could at least ask if we want to accept these missions. We are the ones completing them.” Sasuke had decided to add in his two cents worth, sending a condescending glare Kakashi-sensei’s way but receiving no reaction.

Turning around to look back at his team, Kakashi-sensei’s eyes upturned to his ‘happy half-circles’ which told you that underneath his mask he was smiling, “You guys are missing the point. Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?”

Naruto and Sakura let out grumbling groans, and Sasuke just glared at Kakashi-sensei’s back as if he hoped it would burst into flames.

Roughly half an hour later, they arrived at their so-called mission. Apparently, some kids had graffitied all over tea shop and small market store and the respective owners were looking to Team 7 to do the clean up work.

Naruto wanted to bang his head against a wall. If there was anything he was absolutely sick of doing, it was washing off graffiti. He had learnt his lesson and didn’t do that stuff anymore, but he swore he had washed off enough of the stuff to last him a lifetime. Apparently not.

Kakashi-sensei immediately found a seat and sat himself down, the little orange book in his hands faster than you could blink. Naruto and Sasuke went to clean the market (since it was bigger and required more than two hands of work was to be done quickly) and Sakura went to clean the tea shop. With their buckets of water, soap and cloths and the wind biting at their skin, it was the definition of a miserable day.

Some birthday, he thought sullenly. Usually he didn’t dwell on the date so much, but the cold weather combined with lame mission just made him feel more meloncholy.

“It’s your birthday, dobe?”

Jumping at the sound of an annoying, familiar voice, Naruto turned his head to the side and saw Sasuke still scrubbing the walls, but Naruto known he had spoken the words.

“What?” Dammit, did he say his thoughts out loud? Naruto wanted to punch himself in his face, and then wanted to punch Sasuke in his face.

“Today, October 10th, is your birthday? Isn't that what you said?” Sasuke asked, irritation creasing his features but he still didn’t look at Naruto, who scrunched up his nose.

“Shut up, teme. I didn’t say anything.” Naruto muttered, turning away and focusing on scrubbing away all of his angst. Stupid, stupid! Why did he have to say it aloud, and why did Sasuke of all people have to hear him?!

“You’re not excited? I thought a lunkhead as simple as you would be even more annoying when it’s your birthday.” Sasuke murmured under his breath, and Naruto’s grip on the cloth tightened.

“Just drop it, you jerk. What the hell do you care anyway how I celebrate my birthday? I’ll do whatever I want!” Naruto declared, but kept his voice low. He didn’t want Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan finding out too.

Even without looking, he could feel Sasuke’s eyes (finally) looking at him, watching his face. As much as it bugged him and he wanted to give the bastard a piece of his mind, he just scrubbed until the graffiti disappeared. The sooner they completed this dumb mission, the sooner he could go home.

When Sasuke looked away from him and went back to working, Naruto was almost certain he heard him mumbling something about ‘annoying idiots’ under his breath. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto decided next time they sparred he would definitely pound Sasuke one! Right in his perfect face!

Eventually, they did finish cleaning off all the graffiti. However, by that time it was already dusk and approaching evening soon. They wouldn’t be making it back to Konoha today.

If Naruto thought this day was bad before, it just got a million times worse. Great, just great.

“Alright, you all know the drill: a room for me, a room for Sakura and a room for the two knuckleheads.” Kakashi-sensei said happily, handing out the keys as he spoke, with Sasuke snatching theirs and glowering at their teacher.

“Man, you’re such a cheapskate Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto whined, his body drooping at the sad truth he had to share a room with that bastard again just because their sensei wanted to save some money.

“You should be grateful I’m paying for your room at all,” Kakashi-sensei shrugged carelessly, then turned and raised his hand over his shoulder, “Ja, see you all tomorrow!”

Sakura glanced at the two of them, her gaze lingering on Sasuke longer than it should, but then she said something about needing to wash her hair and before they knew it she was gone.

“I’m showering first,” Was all Sasuke said before he turned and started making his way towards their room. Naruto heaved a big sigh, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. Then, he inhaled a deep breath and raised his head, shook his shoulders and followed after his rival.

When Naruto stepped out of the shower, he noted Sasuke was already in the bed, which Naruto made a face at. It was truly embarrassing how many beds he was forced to share with Sasuke. He never got used to it, and the bastard was damn prickly even when he was going to sleep!

However, Naruto had nothing in him to start bickering with Sasuke tonight. Instead, he merely turned off the light and walked over to bed, pulled back the covers, and slid inside, his back to Sasuke as he attempted to sleep.

Yet it seemed that Sasuke and he had switched places tonight, as Naruto heard the other boy speak, “Sleeping already, moron? Don’t you have birthday wishes to make?”

Opening his eyes in irritation, Naruto scowled and resisted the urge to turn over, “Didn’t I tell you to shut it, bastard? Dammit, I don’t want your voice to be the last thing I hear before I sleep!”

A small silence passed between them, and surprisingly yet again it was broken by Sasuke, “Why didn’t you tell anyone it was your birthday?”

The question made Naruto’s heart still in his chest, and he twisted the sheets in his hands. Why did Sasuke have to keep bringing his damn birthday up? Couldn’t the bastard take a hint?

“Like you always say, Sasuke, it’s none of your business so I don’t have to tell you anything. Geez, of all times to start talking! Bastard,” Naruto let out an angry sigh, adjusting his head on the pillow and trying to ignore the small voice in his head that was actually sorta glad that Sasuke…

“It’s annoying me, so it is my business. Tell me already and get it over with.”

Shredding his last nerve, Naruto turned over violently to find Sasuke facing him and…and looking at him again, expectantly, as if he was waiting for something and starting to get bored.

“Listen, you asswipe, just because everyone else makes a huge fuss over their birthday doesn’t mean I have to. Okay, so it’s the date I was born - whoop de freakin hoo. It’s just another day, and I really don’t care about celebrating it, and I don’t doubt that everyone else feels the same way. Does that answer your question?”

Naruto was breathing heavily by the time he was finished, his eyes fierce as they looked into Sasuke’s and his face set in an unusual glare.

Sasuke didn’t say anything, he was silent. He was silent for a short moment, which turned into a long moment, at which point Naruto realised he had gotten into another staring contest with the Uchiha.

Shaking his head, Naruto made to turn over, but Sasuke finally chose a moment to speak.

“That’s really stupid.”

Naruto blinked once, twice, and then felt his anger boil up so fast he had no time to count to ten, “TEME! WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, inhaling a breath and looking unperturbed at Naruto’s angered state. He continued, “You really are a moron. If you don’t tell anyone about your birthday, then how are they supposed to celebrate it?”

That comment made Naruto’s anger disappear, as confusion took over as he looked at Sasuke. What…was the bastard actually trying to-

Sasuke sighed exasperately, rubbing at his forehead, “You’re such a nuisance when you sulk, and to think it all could’ve been avoided if you just had a little foresight.”

Okay, Naruto’s anger came back, and he shoved at Sasuke’s shoulder, “I wasn’t sulking, teme! Uzumaki Naruto doesn’t sulk!”

“Could have fooled me,” Sasuke drawled, and Naruto really had to fight the urge to smack Sasuke upside the head. God, how can someone be so much of a damn bastard all the time?!

“Urgh! You really piss me off, you know that?! Why do you have to keep bringing up my birthday anyway?! What’s it to you, jerkass?!” Naruto fumed, pinning Sasuke with one of his signature ‘pissed off and you’re pushing it’ expressions. Annoyingly it had little to no effect on the Uchiha.

Sasuke’s face suddenly became impassive, as he glanced up at the ceiling. Naruto kept looking at his face, waiting for a response so he could give a final comeback and hopefully get to sleep.

“Just,” Sasuke’s voice was soft, and Naruto felt his body ease up as he leaned in closer to hear the rest, “Don’t forget the day you were born, usuratonkachi.”

Naruto’s heart rate increased, his face frozen in shock, “Huh?” It was all he managed to get out, even though his mind was spinning out of control. Did Sasuke actually just say that to him? It…it sounded like the bastard actually sort of…cared…

“If I have to endure a day like this again next year, I’ll seriously kick your ass.”

Naruto’s response was immediate, “Go ahead and try it, asshole! I can take you with my eyes closed!”

Yet, Naruto could feel it within himself. He wasn’t angry at all. In fact, he felt a warmth start spreading through his body, and already a grin was tugging at his lips. Of all the people in the world, Naruto never thought Sasuke would be the one to make him smile on his birthday.

“Hn, idiot.” Naruto bristled at the regular insult, but in the shadows of the darkness his eyes widened when he looked at Sasuke’s face. Was that…was it really…

“Just don’t expect me to buy you any free ramen, then you’re really an idiot."

“Bastard! If it’s my birthday, you’ll get me whatever I damn well please! You wait until next year!” And with that, Naruto turned over and settled down to sleep.

Even he couldn’t stop the smile spreading on his face, as he thought of Sasuke’s smile in the dark.

It was the first time Naruto ever felt like his birthday truly meant something. And even though Sasuke wasn’t around the next year to buy Naruto ramen, he had already given Naruto something he never forgot.

And he would count the days until he could spend his next birthday with Sasuke again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it was a nice read for you all, have a lovely day/night~


End file.
